Personal Guardians: Book 2 in the Personal Demons Series

by Rachel A. Collett

  “No.” He guided me back to the bed, taking the cup from me. “It’s perfect,” he said. He watched me from over the rim as he drank his tea.

  Guilt and excitement did the tango on my insides. Would he be able to tell that I had drugged him?

  Less than five minutes. If I could just get him to lie down…

  “I would like to discuss what happened today,” he said after another long drink.

  I shifted awkwardly. “What part? There were several things that happened, if I do recall.”

  “Why did you kiss me when you announced you would accept me as your temporary Guardian?”

  “I—” My mouth snapped closed. I had no clue why, actually, and I told him so with a shrug.

  “I see. Could it be that you are growing fond of me, perhaps?”

  “Listen, Darius, I don’t know why I kissed you.” I took a deep breath. “Maybe it’s because by accepting you I knew that meant we would become more than sparring buddies. Maybe it’s because I wanted to show full and complete trust in you. Maybe…” I cracked my knuckles and let my words drift off.

  “What, Ava?” His voice was deep, alluring, taking in everything I said.

  I was being manipulative, but something had slowly taken over me. A heady sense of control with Darius I had never experienced before.

  Four minutes.

  “Maybe I am becoming fond of you,” I said, my words barely more than a whisper. I was gratified when he took another deep draught of the spiked liquid. “Maybe it’s all of those combined.”

  I crawled to the top of his bed and pulled down his blanket and sheets.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, a confused lilt to his voice.

  “I’m tucking you in,” I said with a genuine smile. “Now finish your tea and come lie down. I’m going to read while you sleep.”

  He picked up the book I had set on his desk. “Is this what you’re going to read?” he asked, a curious glint to his eyes. “Jacob’s Revenge?” He displayed the novel, exposing the front cover of a busty woman wrapped in the arms of a dark and brooding man.

  My ears burned. “Yep.”

  He laughed. Handing me the book, he downed the rest of his drink. “Well if you’re going to read, you’ll need a lamp and the only light I have is that one.” He pointed to his swing-arm lamp.

  “I’ll have to make do.” I patted the spot next to me.

  Three minutes.

  He removed his shirt and turned off the bedroom light. I clicked on the lamp to the lowest setting and watched as he climbed into bed. The lines of his tattoos moved in the darkened light of the room. The temperature of my body rose as I forcefully averted my gaze, pretending to read.

  Two minutes.

  “You’re beautiful, Ava.”

  My body tensed. “What?”

  Darius watched me, hands resting behind his head. “Drop-dead gorgeous.” His eyes drooped drowsily, and I almost laughed. The pill was taking effect.

  “Okay, Darius. Go to sleep.”

  “I mean it,” he mumbled.

  I set the book down and lay next to him, rolling over to my side. Leaning my head on my hand, I reached out and stroked his hair, still damp from the shower. “Go to sleep.”

  His eyes rolled back into his skull as I pulled my fingers through his hair.

  His hand slapped down on my wrist, so strong that I inhaled my shock and tried to jerk away. His grip tightened against my skin.

  His eyes flashed open. “What did you do?”

  My mouth fastened shut.

  “Ava?” His honey-colored eyes glared daggers at me.

  “I don’t know what you’re—”

  And then he moved, shifting so fast that in the next moment, he hovered over me, my shoulders pressed deep into the mattress. Pinned to my back, I scowled at him.

  “Don’t look at me like that. Don’t you think I know my own methods, Ava? Why have you drugged me?”

  “Darius—”

  “Damn it.” He growled, then shook his head, trying to stop the effects of the narcotic. His breath accelerated and deepened. He lowered his face close to mine. “Why drug me, Ava? What do you have to gain?”

  “I—”

  “Don’t lie to me!” His nose grazed the tip of my own.

  “Stop interrupting, and maybe I’ll answer you!” My face flushed red. Frustration seared as I shifted beneath his heavy weight. “I just need—a little time to—to myself, that’s all.”

  A grin spread across his face. “Have I become such a bother that you have to get away from me?” His breath tickled my cheek. I jerked my hands away, but he seized them again, slamming them into the soft mattress. He grunted through the exertion. “I can stop you, you know.” His gaze narrowed at my lips, but then his eyes rolled. His body dropped lower—he leaned his head to my shoulder.

  One minute.

  I took a deep breath. A smile tugged at my mouth. “No.” I huffed a laugh. “You won’t stop me, will you, handsome?”

  His head shot up and he glared at me, but then his gaze softened as his examined my face. Straining my neck, I kissed his soft lips, once, and then twice.

  He growled, frustrated, and then his mouth pressed against mine in one long, passionate kiss.

  “You are so beautiful,” he mumbled against my skin, sending a flurry of sensations throughout my body. When he pulled away, his clouded eyes gazed into mine. “I won’t stop you, but I can slow you down.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  And then he was out. His body flopped over mine. My breath left in a whoosh. I coughed against his weight.

  I groaned. “Darius.” I gently pushed at him as his deep breath rattled my ear. I chuckled, and began the painstaking process of wiggling out from beneath him.

  Once free, I rolled him to his back and covered him with his blankets. I sat beside him, watching him for a minute longer. A warm feeling coursed through my heart. Did he really think I was beautiful? Or was it the medication talking?

  I bent over and lightly kissed his cheek before sliding out of bed. I only had a few hours. Entering my room, I called to Aaron.

  “Ava?” My angel regarded me with curiosity as I grabbed a knife and slid it into my boot.

  “I need you to watch over Darius. I’ll be gone for a couple of hours.”

  “What will you be doing?”

  I hesitated before sliding a second knife into my pocket. “I know where they’re keeping Cheryl. I’m going to scope out the area.”

  “Without the others?” Aaron asked. I only nodded. “I do not believe this is wise, Defender.”

  “You once told me it was my choice whether or not to accept my calling. I made my decision and this is another I must make. I’m leaving to verify the location of Cheryl and to ensure she is alive. I need someone to protect Darius.”

  When he was about to argue I interrupted. “I know you don’t understand why I’m doing this, but I need you to trust me. Please.”

  Finally, he agreed, but before he could leave, I stopped him. “Aaron.”

  “Yes, Ava?”

  “Thank you for protecting Ray and for always looking out for me.”

  He nodded, then slipped inside Darius’s room.

  Twenty minutes later, I jogged to a stop before the edge of the sanctuary. Panting, I drew my knife and walked through to the mortal world.

  A shadow emerged from the line of trees. My pendant lay warm against my chest, emitting no warning that I was in danger.

  “Thank you for coming,” I said to Jonathan.

  When he moved into the moonlight, his body was tense as he scanned the area around me. Confusion marred his handsome face.

  “You are alone?”

  “Of course,” I answered.

  “I thought you said you had a plan.”

  I stopped short of where he stood. “This is my plan. I got out of the sanctuary undetected. Now I need you to take me to Cheryl.”

  Jonathan blinked twice. “No.”

  My heart dro
pped. Confusion pulled at my mind. “But you said—”

  “Not by yourself I won’t.”

  “But I’m with you.”

  Jonathan barked a laugh. “What is the matter with you, Ava? Even still, I can’t take you into that pit of vipers. If you were caught, Annie would destroy you in an instant.”

  My shoulders fell. “What did you expect me to do? I need to see Cheryl.”

  He crossed his arms over the expanse of his chest. “She is alive, Ava. If the Annihilator wanted her dead, she would be dead already.”

  I shook my head. “But she’s going to kill her soon. She’ll do it to get to me.”

  “Yes! But that’s why you have The Three, right? You cannot do this alone. The strength of The Three is magnified when they are all together. Even without a Guardian, I would assume you to be stronger with the others. You stand a better chance with them.”

  I huffed an impatient breath. “You don’t get it. No one would have allowed this.”

  Silenced stretched the distance between us. “You haven’t told them about me,” Jonathan surmised. Hurt inflected his tone.

  My head jerked. “Of course not. Well, Fiona and Elisa know that I have a personal demon, but…”

  “But you have not told them about our arrangement,” he finished for me. I shook my head in answer. “So you’re telling me you’re out here, by yourself, without anyone knowing what you’re doing or who you’re with.” My face flushed crimson, but I kept my gaze steady as Jonathan grew angrier with every word. “Your friends don’t know you are with a demon—a Fallen, no less—who is more likely to kill you than to help you. They wouldn’t know where to look if you didn’t return, or worse, if you were injured and needed help. They wouldn’t know—”

  “I—” My voice caught. All I wanted was to save the last remaining person that meant anything to me before I had accepted my calling. All the others were gone. Cheryl was the only one I had left of that life—barely more than a shadow of a memory.

  “You cannot keep placing yourself in these dangerous situations, Ava. You have friends. You have more resources at your fingertips than most, and you’re not using them.”

  “Okay, Jonathan. I get it.” I stopped his ramblings with a flick of my hand.

  “No, you don’t!” he yelled. “This is not a game, Ava!”

  Despite the warning in my head, I flipped my knife open and held it at the ready. “What?” I yelled back. “You wanted me to bring The Three with me? They would have remembered you, Jonathan. What if they tried to kill you?”

  “I would have handled the situation. Don’t you think I thought of that the moment you asked me to take you to Cheryl? But without them…” He laced his fingers into his dark hair. “What you are asking me to do tonight would mean death. Your death, darling.”

  He stalked toward me and I held out my knife in warning. He scoffed. “Please. You are still not ready for me.” It flew from my grasp with a powerful wave of his hand. He sneered. “But I’ll tell you what. I will take you to your Cheryl if you can beat me.”

  I pressed a hand to his chest, stopping his advance. Heat blazed up my arm. His heartbeat pounded violently through his thin, black shirt. Jonathan stared down at me, intent on persuading me to see things his way. He didn’t want me to go. Behind the show, there was genuine concern for my safety.

  I could feel his energy trying to push his will onto mine. And I could sense something else. An open heart, and I took advantage. Closing my eyes, I delved deeper into the sensation of searching through his soul, for he did have one—shadowed and minuscule, but a soul was there, used to darkness and used to fear.

  Shocked, I swallowed, my voice less than a whisper. “I see you, Jonathan.”

  “Of course you do,” he snapped.

  “No.” I pushed against his chest with my fingertips. I see your soul.

  I opened my eyes. Energy gushed through me as I made contact with his soul. Jonathan gasped and jumped away from me.

  Stop it. He made an effort to conceal himself, but it didn’t work. I tightened every muscle in my body, exerting enough energy to make the connection even stronger.

  Shocked, he pointed at me. Anger glowed in his eyes. “Stop it,” he repeated. “You see nothing. Nothing but a shell, Ava. I killed the soul that once controlled this body. There is nothing left.”

  My heart twisted as he shrank from knowing that he had a soul, small as it was. But he did have one.

  “I feel it, Jonathan.” You and I are connected.

  He grimaced. “There is no connection. I will betray you.”

  He advanced, his hands fisted at his side. My soul opened to his, raw emotion pooling in my heart. A new understanding rang true. Not only could I defend God’s children and my wards using love, but I could also love my enemy.

  I opened my arms and unleashed the energy upon him. Jonathan cried out, shrinking to the ground in agony. It wasn’t real pain I was inflicting, but I needed him to understand. Needed him to see. The Demon’s Eye radiated, relishing along with me the glow of my new ability, but after a moment I closed it off, collapsing the power.

  Jonathan climbed to his feet and stared at me. His breathing came out in shallow gasps, his fists clenching and unclenching at his side.

  I stood firm, my voice confident. You are my friend. You have a soul, and you are mine, Jonathan. My personal demon. “You will not betray me.”

  This time his approach was slow, his eyes wary as he neared. Heaving an aggravated sigh, Jonathan gathered my face in his hands. My body kindled at his touch. The Demon’s Eye reacted, turning ice-cold, causing pain to erupt at my chest, but I ignored it the best I could.

  “You are a fool, Ava.” Frustration and approval warred in his tone.

  Despite my efforts, moisture stung my eyes and leaked down my cheeks. Jonathan froze, watching the tears fall. I stifled a sob, wrestling against an unreasonable reaction, but my insides shook as the emotion drained. Jonathan scowled in apparent disgust, but slowly his expression changed as he scanned my appearance. Hesitant at first, he gently kissed the tears from my cheeks.

  “You are such a strange creature,” he whispered against my skin. “Angry and violent at times—my mortal warrior—then soft and affectionate, with more innocence than that of a child.” He breathed into my hair. “It’s baffling how you contain so much emotion and energy in this delicate frame. I will help you get your Cheryl back, my Ava.”

  My hands wound around his waist. At first Jonathan stiffened within the embraced, but after a second or two, he melted. Gathering me in his arms he rested his chin on top of my head. “So strange,” he whispered into the night air.

  “Well, isn’t this a sweet moment.”

  I jerked, my hand instinctively grabbing for my knife, but Jonathan’s arms tightened around me, stopping my reaction. He shifted in the direction of an unfamiliar voice. A shadow stalked from the trees. The Demon’s Eye pulsed in warning—telling me the real reason it had reacted before.

  Pull your other knife and no matter what I say, go with it. For the first time ever, Jonathan purposefully opened to me, speaking directly to my soul. Something was very wrong. When I say so—run back through the veil and do not return until it’s safe.

  But—

  “Promise me,” he whispered low and harsh. He pulled my arm, squeezing my hand hard. I nodded. Jonathan slid me behind him, taking a defensive position in front.

  A soft chuckle sounded. “This is so heartwarming. If I wasn’t about to vomit, I might cry.”

  “Theron.” Jonathan’s voice was strong, authoritative.

  I gripped his shoulders, looking past to the hulking figure that moved toward us. My pendant screamed in fear. I covered it in an effort to calm its distress as well as my own anxiety. Reaching out with my energy, I searched this newcomer for a soul… but only darkness pulsed back.

  Built like a line-backer, the stranger stopped several yards away, his body crouched. “Jonny, Jonny, Jonny.” The demon tsked under its b
reath.

  “What do you want, Theron?”

  Theron’s close-cropped blond head tipped to the side as he tried to peer over Jonathan’s shoulder. “Who do you have there? Is that your mortal wench? Why don’t you introduce me? She’s stunning.”

  My eyes grew large at the insult-lined compliment, but I kept my mouth closed as promised. Jonathan pushed me even farther away. I pulled my second knife, keeping it hidden behind his back.

  “She is mine and what I choose to do with my wench is up to me.”

  Theron smiled large. “But she’s not your typical mortal is she? I can sense that from here.” Jonathan stilled, but didn’t answer. Theron cracked his knuckles. “I’ve been looking for you for a while, Jonny.”

  “Why? What could a lower-ranking Fallen want with me?”

  “Arrogant as ever. Do you want me to salute?” He laughed, low and menacing. “Your title has been stripped from you, Jonny. Didn’t you know? I now own that position. You are no longer one of the Destroyer’s favorite pets. But that’s what you get when you refuse to answer his call.”

  “What are you talking about? The Destroyer’s never called for me.”

  “Oh, but he has,” Theron sneered, “and I’m here to claim my victory and reward.”

  Jonathan smiled, exposing his teeth. “Why don’t you go home, darling.” He gave me a push toward the veil. “I will finish what we started later.”

  “No, no,” Theron interjected, taking a step forward. “I insist that she stays. The Destroyer will want to meet this mortal. He will be very pleased when I bring her back with me.”

  He pulled his weapon from his boot. Its blade was long and thin, and I recognized it immediately as the same type of fighting knife my father preferred. The demon gripped the black handle, showcasing the full double cross guard made from the same steel as the double-edged blade.

  I eyed the weapon with a strange lust but could sense Jonathan’s hackles rise to the other demon’s threat. “You will not. Touch. Her,” he warned.

  Theron smirked. “Oh, but I will. The master will not be at all bothered if I handle the goods during transport—as long as she is delivered.”